Diving-gear for torpedoes.



W. DlETER.

I DIVING GEAR FOR TORPEDOES.

APPLl-CATION FILED JAN.6. 1914.

Patented July 6, 1915.

figfz.

INVENTOR WlTNbSSES: /%W i zi By 14 Morneyx,

f @(URAQR 8 Mc f a nrran era-res PATENT curios.

WILLIAM DIE'IER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR '10 E. W. BLISS COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

DIVING-GEAR FOR TORPEDOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1915.-

Application filed January 6,1914. Serial No. 810,( i88.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM DIETER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Diving-Gear for T orpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the so-called diving gear or immersion mechanism for controlling the path of an automobile torpedo or other submarine boat in a vertical plane, in order to impart to it a tendency to run at a given or set depth below the surface. This vertical steering is best accomplished by a so-called horizontal rudder or rudders operated by a depth engine or servomotor, the valve of which is controlled by the conjoint action of a hydrostat and a pendulum. The hydrostat comprise a diaphragm receiving on one side the pjlessure of the water and on the other side the pressure of a spring, so that by adjusting the stress of the spring the depth at which the torpedo is to travel may be varied at will. The pendulum is adapted to swing in a longitudinal plane, and therefore responds to any acceleration or retardation of speed, and also to any diving or broaching tendency.

The present invention provides an improved mechanism for this purpose. This mechanism is especially applicable to the Bliss-Leavitt torpedo, although with obvious modifications it may be made applicable to other types of torpedoes.

According to this invention the hydrostat acts through an elbow-lever or other suitable connection upon a transmission lever, and the pendulum acts upon the same transmission lever so that the lever takes a position which is the resultant of the unbalanced pressure on the hydrostat and the gravitating or other tendency of the pendulum; and this lever is connected to operate the valve of the depth engine.

Referring to the drawings,Figure l is a side elevation of the after-portion of a torpedo shell'which is partly broken away to show the immersion mechanism in elevation. Fig. 2 is an elevation of this mechanism partly in section showing it upon a larger scale.

In the drawings the propelling mocha nism by which the propellers B are driven is omitted, such mechanism being well understood.

A is the torpedo shell or hull, B the propellers, D the pendulum, E the hydrostat, F the depth engine and G the horizontal rudder. All of these parts are of the usual construction as applied in the well-known Bliss- Leavitt torpedo, and require no special description.

The hydrostat E has as usual a diaphragm a which receives the pressure of waterv in a chamber 2) entering through an opening 6. The opposite side of the diaphragm receives the pressure of a spring a which is inclosed ver J, which latter is fulcrumed at jto a fixed point in a suitable bracket or support. The pendulum I) is suitably hung within the torpedo shell so that its heavy body may have a restricted swing or movement between stops i i, the body carrying as usual spring builers to diminish the impact. The pendulum is connected by a rod g to the lower end of the lever J. The upper end of the lever beyond the point where the link I engages it, is connected to the valve stem 7' of the depth engine F. To make this connection elastic or yielding the valve stem passes through .an eye in the lever J and springs is is are provided confined between shoulders on the lever and collars on the stem respectively, so that the thrust of the levers in either direction is transmitted through one of these springs to the stem.

The depth engine F is of the usual con struction having a plunger driven by compressed air and connected through a rod m to the tiller 2) of the rudder G; inside the plunger is the usual floating valve operated every movement of the valve'is followed by a movement of the plunger, so that each .l'novement "imparted to the valvestem f is followed by a corresponding movement of 5 the rudder G.

K is thecasing containing the gyroscope for steering the torpedo in the horizontal vplane, but this forms no part of the present invention.

In operation, when the torpedo is above the prescribeddepth .for which the hydrostat is set, the spring 0 presses down the diaphragm, thereby moving the arm H and "link I forward. This movement, acting through the lever K and link 9 pulls the pendulum aft. The inertia of the pendulum thus prevents a sudden or violent movement. The lever J is thus displaced somewhat slowly, and eventually assumes a position which is the. resultant of the unbalanced pressure upon the diaphragm and the gravitating tendency of the pendulum. The

moveln ent of the lever J to this position actsure gradually increases so that the unbalanced pressure of the spring correspondingly relaxes, and the gravitating tende ficy of the pendulum becomes effective to par-J tially restore the lever J in advance of the hydrostat reaching equilibrium, so that, as

the torpedo approaches its set depth the rudder G gradually moves toward its midposition. In case the torpedo dives below its prescribed depth the hydrostatic pressure preponderates and the lever H pulls aftward through the link I, exerting a forward pressure upon the pendulum so that the 1 V lever J moves to a resultant position in the contrary direction, 1 thereby through the depth engine throwing the rudder upward. When the torpedo is diving or rising its inclination from the horizontal gives the pendulum a tendency toswing forward or aft, and this, transmitted through the. rod 9 and lever J, tends to move the valve of the depth engine in such direction as to cause the rudder to compensate for the inclination and exert a tendency to restore the torpedo to a level. So also, if the to'rpedo is accelerating or'wetarding its speed, the consequent lag. or advance of the pendulum imparts a tendency for a corresponding movement of the rudder.

torpedo, keeping it nearer to its prescribed 1,1ee,see

depth than formerly, and causing its tra jectory to follow curves of such large radius as to more nearly approximate than heregravitating tendency of the pendulum inat the prescribed stead of by a spring. In such mechanism the counter stress on the diaphragm varies with the inclination of the torpedo, being increased when it is rising and diminished when it is diving. This I consider undesirable, and use a spring which when adis to be distinguished not justed gives a uniform stress upon the diaphragm for determining the normal depth of immersion. The pendulum is used as in the best practice heretofore solely to intro duce a source of control due to acceleration,

and to departures of the torpedo from a level keel.

. I claim as my invention':

1. A diving gear comprising a hydrostat, a pendulum, and a depth engine, the hydro stat having a diaphragm and a spring therefor affording a uniform stressagainst the diaphragm, a' positive connection between the hydrostat and pendulum adapted to transmit movement from either to the other, and transmission means adapted to communicate the resultant movement therefrom to the valve of said engine.

2. A diving gear comprising a hydrostat, a pendulum, and a depth engine, the hydrostat having a diaphragm and a spring therefor, and a transmission lever having a fixed fulcrum and connected to both said hydrostat and pendulum for transmitting resultant movement therefrom to the valve of said engine.

from the pendulum, and said lever connectedto the valve of said engine.

4. A diving gear comprising a hydrostat, a pendulum, a depth engine and a' transmission lever, the latter having a fixed fulcrum, an elbow-lever connecting from the hydrostat diaphragm to the transmission lever, a link connecting said transmission lever to the pendulum, said connections being in such manner that a displacement of the hydrostat displaces the pendulum, and said transmission lever connected to the v alve stem of said engine.

5.-A diving gear comprising a hydrostat, a pendulum, and a depth-engine, a positive connection between the hydrostat and pendulum adapted to transmit movement from either to the other, a transmission lever signed my name in the presence of two subadapted hi1 cgmmunicslilte the fresugltant scribing witnesses movement t ere rom to t e va ve o sai enp gine, and interposed. springs adapted to WILLIAM DIDTLR' 5 cushion the movement transmitted to such Witnesses:

, valve. JOHN D. MCTAPE,

In Witness whereof, I- have hereunto STEPHEN B. TALLMAN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

